&ltp class="c1">&ltstrong&gtAsmita Aggarwal&ltp&gtThe minute my plane touched down at the Bandaranaike Airport, Katunayake, the one thing that stuck in my mind was of course, besides the picturesque island the Sri Lankan air hostess Melissa's sexy sari. She told me it was the Kandyan way of draping it. Interestingly, this three-piece wonder has a wraparound skirt, a pleated middle and a slim duppatta that is pinned in front. It is a heady mix of comfort and luxury and the sari's bold peacock print further accentuated its appeal.&ltp&gtWell, I did manage to see a lot of saris in my seven-day stay in Sri Lanka Sri for paradise and Lanka for island, so paradise island, but the thought of wearing and walking around in one deterred me from buying these three piece beauties. It can be a logistical nightmare for the inexperienced as the wrap is a complex garment to flaunt and carry around if you are not a professional at handling it.&ltp&gtSri Lanka decoded&ltp&gtThe worst time to go to Sri Lanka would be when the SAARC summit is on. Most roads were blocked, traffic diverted, a zillion checkposts and you can't deny that the Air Force officers look rather dapper most good hotels booked. So we had to make do with Brown's Beach hotel, a little away from Colombo.&ltp&gtBut the view was spectacular from my window, with the raging sea I could also see lovebirds snogging at the beachside. That's why they say - sun, sand and sex. We could not see much of Colombo, but the little that I saw I noticed that it was a bit upmarket and hugely expensive. And my driver Mohammed Rafi no, not the famous singer from Walkers Tours told me that house rents can go up to Rs 20,000 for an apartment and to keep your head above water you must earn at least Rs 50,000 a kilo of rice costs Rs 150, so let us not even talk about veggies.&ltp&gtRock climbing Sri Lanka style&ltp&gtOnly attempt Sigiriya if you have nerves of steel, trust me I am serious. Sigiriya or the Lion's Rock is an ancient rock fortress. Interestingly, the steep steps don't challenge some but for me I gave up half way through after seeing the stunning frescoes, which they call the &ampquot;Heavenly maidens of Sigiriya&ampquot; these are painted in earth pigments. There are &ampquot;almost 2,600 steps&ampquot; and as it was raining that day it made my climb more difficult.&ltp&gtMost of the steps have no railing on the sides and with the dangerous climb you are left to your own devices.&ltp&gtBut when I saw a group of 60-plus women challenging the rain god I rolled up my jeans and told myself, &ampquot;Never give up.&ampquot; Well, my enthusiasm did not last long and neither did my breath, so after lots of huffing and puffing, I called it quits, much to the amusement of my guide, Shane who was a major motivating factor.&ltp&gtComing back to Sigiriya, it is a popular tourist destination and was built during the reign of King Kashyapa 477-495 AD and is one of the seven World Heritage sites in Sri Lanka. The most fascinating part of this destination is the mirror wall, at a crazy height where it is said that the kings' servants used to write love messages for each other. The wall it is said gets its texture from a mix of egg white, lime and bee-wax, which is applied and left for 21 days for the final effect. The rock has a height of 200 metres and at the bottom you have the most spectacular man-made fountains and can you believe it they are still in a working condition.&ltp&gtAs I walked out of the premises, I thought to myself without any new-age instruments or machines how did they manage to carve a huge rock 1500 years back.&ltp&gtBut then the thought of having the chilled Three Coins local beer overtook everything else. And trust me when I tell you, the label at the back of the beer says, &ampquot;A refreshing quencher, a tasty relaxant and a wholesome lubricant for social intercourse.&ampquot; I was truly in Sri Lanka.&ltp>